The Council
by Cerasi
Summary: Obi-Wan and Anakin have to report back to the council on their journey


The Argument   
Part 2  
  
Well I told you I'd write more. So here I am. This is the second part to my first fanfic. I hope if you enjoyed the first fanfic then you will enjoy this one too. If you did not like the first one then there is probably no point in reading this one.   
This part takes place when Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi have to report back to the Jedi council about where they were. And…well you'll see what happens.  
  
The Argument Part 2  
The Council  
  
The night sky of Coruscant was a lovely shade of velvet blue, but Anakin Skywalker could not focus on that now. Obi-Wan and himself had been called before the council to report on the conditions of Naboo. Anakin was sitting on a couch placed next to one of the large windows that lay outside the council chamber. Obi-Wan was pacing up and down in front of the council hall doors. What do I tell them he wondered, what can I tell them, will they know about what happened, when Anakin got mad, why did he get mad, what will the council say about it? Obi-Wan shook his head, it was beginning to hurt, there were too many thoughts going through his mind at the same time. Then his mind cleared and Qui-Gon's voice filled the emptiness. Talk to the boy, he needs your help and your guidance.  
He doesn't want my help. Obi-Wan said to the voice. He doesn't like me. He sat down on the other couch that lay across the hall.   
You are not giving him time to get to know you. Qui-Gon's voice assured him. He'll come round, and then he will treat you like you are his own father. Give him time, you'll see.  
Time! Obi-Wan's mind voice screamed out. I've given him five years! He just doesn't want me. I'll just tell the council… Obi-Wan was cut off as the doors to the council chamber opened. Anakin walked in front of him and Obi-Wan stayed behind. He was going to put a hand on the boy's shoulder but Anakin turned round and gave him a look as if saying; don't touch me. So he left the boy and they got to the middle of the council chamber.  
Master Yoda was the first to speak. "Go well your unscheduled stop did?"  
What would he answer, Obi-Wan stood silent. Master? He searched for his master's voice inside his head but it did not come. Master, please, help me? He pleaded.  
"Master Obi-Wan?" Mace Windu addressed him. Obi-Wan shook his head in the direction of Mace.  
"What? Oh sorry. I got wound up in my thoughts. Sorry." He hung his head. He could not look at them; he was still trying to find an answer to their question. Should I tell them, or should I just lie and tell them everything went fine.   
"Are you going to answer master Yoda's question?" Mace asked him.  
"Yes." Obi-Wan said quickly.  
"Well?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.  
"Oh, yes, everything went fine. We got our fuel and the Queen even gave us some supplies to last our journey. She really has got the planet of Naboo back to normal. She is a brilliant Queen, and she knows exactly what is best for Naboo and for herself." With that Anakin stormed out. Obi-Wan hesitated for a second and then ran after him. Yoda and Mace looked over at each other with knowing glances.  
"Anakin, Anakin wait!" Obi-Wan called as he ran after his Padawan. Finally Anakin stopped as he got into the eating room. Obi-Wan caught up with him. "What was all that about?" he almost shouted.   
"You just want to take everything away from me, don't you? Just because you can't have something it means I can't either." The other students were starting to take notice of the two in the doorway.  
"What are you talking about Anakin? Take what away from you?" Obi-Wan asked puzzled. "I'm not taking anything away from you."   
"Ami!" Anakin screamed as he headed for the lunch line, hoping to lose his master. But Obi-Wan kept on his tail. He grabbed for Anakin's arm, but Anakin pulled away and threw a lunch tray at Obi-Wan. If Obi-Wan had not sensed it coming then it would have hit him right in the face, but he brought out his lightsabre and sliced the tray in half. Some of the other students were beginning to get out of the hall as fast as they could.   
"Quick," one of the students called, "Go and get the council masters." Great Obi-Wan thought now they're going to take me back to the council chamber and make me answer a whole new lot of questions and give me lectures on lying.   
"Anakin Skywalker, get back here now!" Obi-Wan called as he followed his Padawan into the kitchens. The cooks had seen what had happened outside and were not sticking around to see what happened in here. "Anakin?" Obi-Wan searched for the boy. "Come on out and we can talk about this." Just as he finished a knife came flying at him, it was aimed at his heart but he moved. But he was not quick enough and it hit him in the shoulder. Instantly pain ran down his arm, he pulled the knife out, knowing that could cause further bleeding but he could not fight Anakin like that, if it came to that which he hoped it would not. The instant he pulled the knife out a further burst of pain ran down his arm followed by the thick hot stream of blood. He dropped the knife and grabbed a towel. He wrapped it round the gash in his shoulder, and hoped the boy had no more weapons. "Anakin please come out." He said, fear and pain where clearly sounding in his shaky voice, as he edged his way around the kitchens. Obi-Wan heard a door open and he hoped it was the council members coming to help him. He looked around the corner and seen a back door to the kitchens lying open. "Damn!" he cried and ran to the door. Inside the door was a small tunnel, it was big enough for Obi-Wan to go on his hands and knees through it but he decided to find out where it would come out at. There would be no way he would catch up with Anakin with his shoulder bleeding as badly as it was. He ran as quickly as he could out of the kitchens and just as he reached the dining area the masters appeared. "Where does the tunnel in the kitchen lead to?" he asked them ignoring his pain, and their questions about how he got the cut.   
"It goes down to the loading and unloading bay for the food." One of the cooks said from behind the masters. Obi-Wan hurried over to her.  
"Is there a quicker way to get there without using that tube?"   
"You could try using the turbolift." She told him and he rushed off to the hallway. "Lock all of the exits," he called back to the council. "Anakin is not leaving this building." With that he ran off down the corridor.  
He met up with Anakin as the boy got out of the tube. "Anakin, stop!" he called, Anakin turned round to face him. "Why are you being like this?" he asked cautiously looking around for anything Anakin could use for a weapon. There were big crates of food and kitchen utensils and beside the other wall were the old food crates. All of which were tightly shut. Good he can't find anything else to hurt me with Obi-Wan thought as he touched his shoulder gingerly.  
"Why am I doing this, why!" Anakin called out mimicking his mentor. "Because you can't give me anything!" Anakin cried as the doors began to close, he ran towards them. Obi-Wan reached out with the Force to try and fling something in the way of Anakin's feet. Hoping to cause him to trip before he reached the door. He had been concentrating on healing his arm as quickly as possible so when his concentration left that the pain overwhelmed him. He could not hold it in any longer and he let his breath out in a loud hissing sound. Just as Anakin was reaching the door Mace Windu ran into the room and stopped Anakin. He twisted Anakin's arms behind his back and the boy started to struggle.   
"The more you struggle, the more it hurts." Mace said into the boy's ear. Anakin hissed slightly in reply. "Now we shall take you back to the council room to see what Master Yoda says about your behaviour." He took the boy out of the room as several healers tried to help Obi-Wan.  
"No!" he cried as they tried to help him to his feet. "I don't need your help!" he pushed them away as best he could and made his towards the council chamber. They would not let him in while they were speaking to Anakin, but they would speak to him later. This would give him enough time to get his arm glued and bandaged. He reported to the medi-bay and they fixed his arm, then he went back to his room and changed his tunic. He took the ripped one to the cleaners and asked if they could fix the rip as well as wash the tunic, they were happy to help him. After that he went to wait outside of the council chamber.  
Inside the eleven council members tried to find out what was wrong with Anakin, as Mace Windu held Anakin in the middle of the room to prevent him from escaping. It was a tough job, but Mace had offered to hold him. "Anakin Skywalker, troubled are you?" Yoda asked him, hoping he would not try to attack anyone else.   
"No!" Anakin cried at Yoda, Mace pushed Anakin's arm further up his spine. Anakin hissed in anger and pain. "And even if I was I would not talk to any trolls about it!" He spat out. Several of the council members were so shocked at the behaviour of this child that they pulled back in their chairs.  
"See through you we can." Yoda said in his ever calm voice, seeming to not have heard the insult that Anakin had thrown at him less than a second ago.  
"Yeh, right!" Anakin called, as he tutted. "Let me go!" He called at Mace as he struggled; this did no good as Mace had a strong grip on his arms, and struggling just made the situation worse. The council went silent for a short minute.  
"Bring master Kenobi in we should." Yoda informed them. The doors opened and Obi-Wan walked in he kept his distance from Anakin even though Mace had a tight grip on the boy. Before the meeting begun Obi-Wan tested how well the glue had set, he knew master Yoda would ask about his wound. "Your arm how is?" Master Yoda asked.   
"It is doing well. The nurses have mended the flesh around it, I did not lose as much blood as you would have thought."  
"Or I would have hoped!" Anakin said under his breath. Obi-Wan cleared his throat and continued.  
"It should be as good as new by tomorrow the nurses reckon."  
"Damn that soon, next time I'll have to throw the knife harder." Anakin said again, this time a little louder.  
"Perhaps we should let young Skywalker get some rest." Mace offered. "I'll take him to the solitary confinement room." He awaited Yoda's nod in agreement and then escorted Anakin out of the room. The whole council turned to Obi-Wan; he could feel his face getting hotter, and the beads of sweat running down his forehead and back. Is this because I have rose to soon and not rested my arm, or am I just nervous? He asked himself. He lifted his arm to wipe away the sweat forming on his forehead. His head was spinning again so he closed his eyes and when he opened them again he was back in the medi-bay. It was morning; he could see the sun coming in through the small window in the corner of the room. He lay on the simple sleep couch that was kept in the medi-bay, and a light sheet was covering him. He realised he was slightly cold and he lifted the sheet further up until it went right to his chin, it was on then he seen that he had no top on and that there were round circles on his chest and just above his stomach; out of which came little thin tubes. He soon realised they were measuring his heartbeat and breathing. Surely I couldn't have been this ill to end up here. He thought, he seen the nurse who had tended to him last night come in. In one hand she carried a small jug filled with water and in the other hand a small cloth.   
"Ah, so you are awake. How do you feel?" she asked sympathetically as she dabbed his forehead with the cloth.   
"Dizzy," he replied, it was all he could think of. At the slightest movement his head spun and his vision clouded. "And sick." The nurse turned to get a thermometer from the drawer behind her. She came back and stuck it in his mouth.  
"Don't take that out until I get back." She told him, and then rushed out. Obi-Wan lay back in the bed, he reached over to try and get the cold cloth, he was surprised when someone handed it to him.  
"Thank you." He said without knowing who was there.  
"It's alright, Master." Anakin's voice came from the back of the room.  
"Ani," Obi-Wan said startled, "they let you out of solitary confinement?" he tried to turn to see Anakin, but he was in the shadows.  
"Yes they let me out," Anakin said quietly. Obi-Wan noticed there was no anger in his voice. "I came to see how you were feeling master." Anakin told him, Obi-Wan was shocked Anakin had only yesterday thrown a knife aiming at his heart, and now he was apologizing. "I was angry, I…I…I don't know what I was thinking. When the guard told me you had gone back into the medi-bay I felt so…so horrible!" Anakin exclaimed, almost shouting. "I actually sat down in the corner and stated to cry." He admitted quietly. He ran over to his master, once again being that fourteen-year-old boy he was. He flung his arms over his mentor and wept. Obi-Wan comforted him as best he could. "I'm so sorry master," the boy managed through his weeping. "Please, please forgive me, please." He begged for his master's forgiveness. He kept repeating the phrase 'I'm sorry' over and over in different variations for about ten minutes, until Obi-Wan could not put up with any more pleas for forgiveness.  
"Oh, Ani you're forgiven." He told him plainly. The boy looked up at him; his eyes were glassy, and his cheeks were red. Obi-Wan looked down the sheet, which covered him, was wet with Anakin's tears. He looked compassionately at Anakin. "Now lets put all of this behind us and work on our master/apprentice relationship. When I'm well I shall tell the council all about this. Then we can get back to the training. Just now is a time off for both of us." Anakin sniffled and Obi-Wan handed him a tissue from the box on the table next to the bed. "Here," he said, "now go and get something to eat and clean yourself up. You will need to go to the council and apologize for your behaviour." He patted Anakin's head and sent him off. Just as Anakin was leaving the nurse came back. She rushed in.  
"Did he hurt you? What did he say? Does he need anyone to restrain him from hurting himself or other students?" she kept asking questions.   
"No, no! It's alright. He's sorry for what he done and he is going to the council to apologize for his actions as we speak." Now that the nurse was reassured Obi-Wan asked if she could leave him to get some rest, she left he and he fell asleep the second his head touch the pillow.  
"Master Yoda, I'm am very sorry for my actions. I was distracted and me mind was not clear. I see now the…pointlessness and how wrong it was for me to badly injure my master. I have been to see him, and we talked things over, he said I should make peace with the council…so here I am. And I am very sorry." Anakin kept the steady gaze of master Yoda as the old master spoke.  
"Forgive you in time we will. Practice you will on skills to calm your inner self, the council arrange that we will. But for now be kept under close watch from your master at all times you must be."   
"May we ask what caused your behaviour, young Skywalker?" Mace Windu leaned further forward in his chair, and stared hard into the boy's eyes. Anakin hesitated for a second.  
"I'm not entirely sure." Anakin replied. Master Yoda dismissed him after a couple of seconds. As soon as Anakin left the room the council came alive with the sound of all the council members talking all at once. Anakin returned to Obi-Wan.  
"Master Yoda, I would like to train Anakin somewhere off planet. He could do a great deal of harm if left here." Obi-Wan stood in the middle of the council chamber room, it had been a week since his injury and now he was recovered.  
"Where will you take him?" Mace asked curiously.  
"I will take him to Corellia." Obi-Wan announced; he waited patiently for Mace and Yoda to agree with him. After several minutes Yoda spoke up.  
"Take him to Corellia you may. Look after him you must. Shield him from the dark side you will. May the Force be with you." With that he dismissed Obi-Wan from the chamber. Obi-Wan went back to his sleeping quarters, which he shared with Anakin. He went in to find Anakin asleep on the couch with the remainder of a tub of ice cream in his grasp and on the table a half empty cup of juice and some crisps. He woke him up.  
"Ani, Ani, come on, get up Ani." He shook the boy's shoulders. Anakin moaned, turned over and went back to sleep. "Anakin Skywalker!" Obi-Wan shouted in Anakin's ear. The boy leapt up and fell of the couch.   
"What? Where? Eh?" he asked. "How'd I get down here?" He looked up at Obi-Wan who was trying to hold back from laughing.  
"Come on, pack your stuff." Obi-Wan said as he passed the boy a bag. Anakin looked up at him worriedly.   
"Please don't throw me out, I promise I'll never hurt you again," tears were beginning to form in his eyes as he grabbed Obi-Wan and looked up at him, "please I promise, I'm sorry master, it'll never happen again, please, please, please." Anakin pleaded over and over.  
"Hey Ani, who said anything about you getting thrown out?" Obi-Wan asked, his face full of concern.  
"One of the other students," Anakin answered as he wiped his face, "they said because I had seriously hurt a master I would be thrown out. But I have no where to go." Tears ran down Anakin's cheeks again as he realized that if he was thrown out he was days away from his mother.  
"Ani, Ani, no one is going to throw you out." Obi-Wan comforted him, "we are going to Corellia to train. We'll get away from all those cruel children. Come on, our ship leaves tonight." He picked up one of the bags and packed a couple of things; he took some credits, some food and drink for the trip to Corellia and some of Anakin's stuff that the boy could not fit in his bag. Then he left the room with Anakin.   
  
2 B cont'd.  
  
Coda: Obi-Wan and Anakin arrived safely on Corellia. They got a hovel on the outskirts of one of the settlements; there was plenty space so they could practice lightsabre battles and Anakin could practice driving on the landspeeder they had purchased.  
  
  
Again please send me reviews. I have planned some more to add on so they will be along as soon as I have finished them.  



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